I have been asked repeatedly about our connection with the Church of God (COG) in Aylmer. When the questions first started to come I had never spoken to Henry Hildebrandt and knew very little about his church. In the weeks and months that followed I spoke with Henry on separate occasions and in person. At that initial meeting with Henry I asked him a series of pointed questions. I was concerned. I was glad his church was open, but I had heard rumors of heresy and cultish behaviour and wanted to hear it from him. Ordinarily I might have dismissed a group like his outright. But the COG Aylmer was one of the very few churches in Ontario that remained open through the lockdowns, and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. So, I asked him about his view of Scripture, his view of salvation, his understanding of the person and work of Christ and so on. And I came away mostly satisfied. There were clear differences between us, but on th...
Over the course of the last year, I have had plenty of time to privately reflect on what transpired through 2020 and 2021, and I have concluded that on some points I was in the wrong. I have decided to address those things here. Some may disagree with what I have concluded, but I write here first and last for Him. First, I believe I was sometimes overly harsh and severe in my writing. I have since removed several blog posts, which I now believe lacked grace and char ity. I still believe the churches should have remained open through the lockdowns, but I wish I had written with a better understanding of my own heart and a more charitable view of my brothers in Christ. I was appalled by what I saw in those days, but in my zeal to speak the truth I sometimes lacked compassion and grace. Second, when I was wronged by colleagues in the ministry I had a choice. I could have covered what I believed to be sin, but I chose instead to expose it to the pub...
Over the last sixteen years, I have spent a lot of time in the Puritans. Early on in my pastoral ministry, I resolved to read at least ten pages of Puritan writings a day. While I have not always been consistent, I have made Puritan reading a significant priority. Though I have read other material, the bulk of my time has been given to their works, which have profoundly shaped my thinking on a host of issues. When I have questions, I instinctively turn—not to contemporary voices—but to the Puritans. They aren’t perfect, but they are safe. I have noticed, however, that the ideology and practices of younger generations of Reformed believers have been largely shaped by the influence of popular contemporary figures, many of whom find their platform on social media. This hasn’t been good for the Church. Had our young men been steeped in the writings of their forefathers in general—particularly the Puritans—the Church today would be in a far healthier state. Some were puzzled—even dism...
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